Culture

The theme sets the tone for your event, so choose one that best matches your audience’s background and interest level. Single style, different breweries. One of the easiest to do, and fairly educational. Pick a beer style, and then try to get a wide range of interpretations of the style. Which ones fit the style... View Article

Have you and your friends ever wanted to learn more about beer but were unsure how to start? Why not host a beer tasting party in your home? It’s cheaper than going out, you know it won’t be loud or smoky and you get to choose what to serve.

Real ale is also known as cask-conditioned beer and is now an accepted dictionary definition for warm-fermented ale that is not filtered, pasteurized or artificially carbonated. At the end of fermentation in the brewery, the unfinished beer is run into casks where additional hops may be added for aroma and flavour, along with finings that... View Article

In April 2010, as the world’s airlines were grounded by volcanic ash, all the signs indicated that the Campaign for Real Ale’s annual conference would be poorly attended. It was due to take place on the Isle of Man, halfway between Britain and Ireland in the Irish Sea. The island’s capital, Douglas, is a short... View Article

Swearing, when judiciously employed, is brilliant. Sometimes, there’s simply no non-cuss word that will do, no mild alternative that can add the same perfect spice and flavor to a sentence. Arguably, one of the sweariest – and certainly one of the most quotable – films of all time is the Brit cult comedy Withnail and... View Article

I’ve gotten some strange responses over the years when I tell people that I’m a beer judge. Some people don’t believe it’s a real skill―“Is that like a bikini inspector?” or that it doesn’t involve work― “How hard is it to drink beer… frat boys must be experts.” Others think I must be quite sly... View Article

Our contributors reflect on the quest for rare beer. Act on the opportunity to buy several vintages of a particularly excellent beer, because getting a group together for a vertical tasting is a ton of fun and a great way to hone your pallet.―Rob Ulich For me, beer acquisition has transcended the concept of a... View Article

Three beers that were mentioned so often, they are in a class by themselves: the rare beers that everyone knows about, but few can buy. Alaskan Smoked Porter, Alaskan Brewing Co. (Juneau, AK) One of the most award-winning beers in the world, produced annually since 1988 from malt smoked at a Juneau salmon smokery. Wisconsin... View Article

There sometimes comes a moment in an evening of hospitality when the host recognizes that a guest is especially appreciative of good beer and offers, “I have something set aside that I think you’d enjoy.”